


Just A Spark

by POTFFAN



Series: Fire Meets Gasoline [1]
Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Crimes & Criminals, Din Djarin Whump, F/M, Family, Feels, Mandalorian whump, Whump, some smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:35:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23110306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/POTFFAN/pseuds/POTFFAN
Summary: One year after marriage, Din finds himself missing his old life. Cue one of the biggest criminals in the galaxy.
Relationships: Baby Yoda & The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV), The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)/Omera (Star Wars)
Series: Fire Meets Gasoline [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1661119
Comments: 29
Kudos: 26





	1. One Year Later

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I just couldn't stay away after finishing the Reaching For You series and so here we are! It's this little concept I've been working on that is now swiftly becoming a nice little series for yall. It helps if you've read my first series but it can also be read as a stand-alone. Anyways, enjoy!

The sun peaked through the slats, streaming into Din’s eyes. He groaned and rolled over, wrapping his arm around the warm body of his wife. He never got tired of waking up beside her. Running his fingers lightly down her arm, he leaned over and started to kiss her neck and shoulder. She moaned softly as she started to stir.

“Good morning, my love,” he whispered softly in her ear. She rolled over to face him and grinned as her eyes fluttered open.

“Good morning,” she said with a soft grin as she touched his cheek gently. “How did you sleep?” 

“Perfectly with you,” he said quickly as he sat up.

“Din, I’m not that heavy of a sleeper. I know heard you get up,” she said as she sat up and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. “Why aren’t you sleeping again?”

“I don’t know. I just don’t sleep anymore,” he said with a sigh. “I guess I’m just not used to all this.”

“Din, we’ve been married for a year now. This sleeping thing didn’t start until a couple of weeks ago. So what’s wrong?”

“I don’t know, Omera,” he said as he got up. Omera also got out of bed and pulled on a robe.

“Maybe, and perhaps I could be wrong, but maybe you’re feeling a little…stir crazy?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Well, it's been a bit since the battle. You’ve made a full recovery. I don’t think you’re used to staying in place for so long.”

“But I want to, my love. This is where I belong. I want to stay here with you, with my son. I almost lost both of you. I won’t risk that again. I’m fine. I just need to adjust,” he said as he turned to face her and touched her cheek gently. She blushed and gently ran her fingers down his abs and he bit his lip.

“Why don’t you come back to bed darling?” she said seductively as she started to lead him towards the bed. He grinned a followed her kissing her as the walked. Suddenly the baby started to fuss and cry. The couple chuckled as they broke off their kiss.

“I’ll get him. We’ll get back to this later,” he said with a grin as he planted a kiss and her forehead and went to the crib where his tiny green son was standing with his arms up, demanding to be held.

“Well good morning to you too, little womp rat,” Din chucked as he picked the Child up.

“Dada!” he squealed as the baby grabbed his father’s nose.

Despite the nightmares that had been plaguing him recently, Din felt a deep peace inside him. For once there was nothing to run from and he was no longer alone. The last year of his life had been the best he’d ever had. There was no need to ruin that now simply because he sometimes missed a little of the action. It was natural for him to be struggling with the transition from feared bounty hunter to krill farmer. It would just take time.

“Honey! Sala’s going to be here any minute to get the baby!” Omera called.

Din got dressed in his armor and donned his helmet and then sat on the edge of the bed as he watched his wife put her armor on. He loved the way she tucked her long braid into her cowl before carefully lowering her helmet onto her head, hiding away your beautiful features. As if she sensed him watching she turned to him.

“What?” she asked.

“Nothing. You’re just very beautiful,” Din said and she could hear the good humor in his voice.

“You can’t even tell under all this,” she replied as she sat beside him.

“I can. I’m your husband remember?” he said as he gave her a playful nudge.

An abrupt knock on the door interrupted them.

“Are you two decent?! I’ve got breakfast for you!” Sala’s voice called from the other side of the door. Din let out an amused sigh.

“Yes we are, come in!” Omera called and Sala entered their hut, balancing two bowls of steaming porridge.

“I never thought you would get up. The sun’s almost high in the sky,” she scolded in a motherly voice as she set the bowls on the table for them.

“Well, there’s no sleeping in when you have a tiny, green alarm clock,” Omera said as she pet the baby’s long ears affectionally. She rose and hugged her figurative mother.

“I’ll take him to breakfast. You two eat quickly. You have visitors,” Sala urged as she took the baby from Din.

“Who?” The confusion in Din’s voice was apparent.

“Your friends, Cara and Karga. They got in early this morning.” Din an Omera shared a look as Sala babbled on. He could feel a twinge of happiness at the thought of seeing his old friend again. “Alright, now I’ll let you two eat and get this little one fed. Come outside when you’re done,” Sala said before leaving the hut with the baby.

********

Omera and Din finished breakfast quickly and put their helmets on before rushing out of their home. True to Sala’s word Cara and Karga were standing in the village square, laughing and chatting with Sei and some of the other villagers.

“Well, well, well! Look who decided to get up! How’s married life treating you?” Cara said with a grin as she patted Din on the back.

“Cant’ complain. How about you? How’s business?” Din asked affectionately.

“Actually, that’s why we’re here,” Karga piped up and Din turned to him. “If we could have a moment alone to talk?”

*********

Din, Omera, Cara, and Karga sat around the dining table.

“So, what’s all this about?” Din asked.

“Well, as you know, I’ve rebuilt the guild and Cara here has been helping me out while I get back in the game. Things have been going well; simple bounties and all. But, well we got a particular bounty that proven to be a bit more challenging than we thought.”

“What do you mean?” Omera asked curiously.

Karga produced a puck from his cloak and activated it. The image of a Chiss popped up with his name underneath it. _Nichos Ninx_. Din leaned forward to get a better look.

“You know him?” Cara asked and Din nodded solemnly. 

“Nichos Ninx. Notorious underlord. One of the most feared in the galaxy,” he said. “I thought he disappeared.”

“During the reign of the Empire, yes. But now, with the empire gone, the Alliance is still young and doesn’t know what it’s doing. He has been able to rebuild his kingdom. It’s quickly becoming one of the largest crime syndicates in the galaxy.”

“What does this have to with me?”

“Well, you’re the best there is. You were always one of my top hunters and if anyone is going to be able to take him out, it’s you.”

“I’m sorry. You’ll have to find someone else. I don’t do that kind of work anymore.”

“Come on now, Mando! We desperate here! Ninx’s crimes and dealings are spreading!”

“Cara? You’re not up for it?” Din asked expectantly. Cara lowered her head, looking ashamed.

“I tried. Lost three good men and barely made it out with my life. This man is dangerous. It’s going to take the best bounty hunter in the parsec to take him down,” She protested. Din sighed and shook his head.

“I’m sorry. But that’s not my life anymore,” he said as he stood. “Stay as long as you like. We have plenty of room,” he said as he walked out of the hut. Kara and Cara sighed collectively.

“Well, that was a bust. Come on, Cara. Guess we’ll spend the night and then head back in the morning,” Karga said disappointedly as he stood and headed for the door. Omera stopped him.

“Let me talk to him. He wants this. He’s been itching for a chance like this. Just give me some time with him,” she said softly.

“I hope you can work some magic. We’re desperate at this point.”

********

Din peered down the sight of his pulse rifle, spotting the target he’d set up in the crosshairs. It felt natural to him as his finger closed around the trigger and he fired. The targe disintegrated as it was struck dead on. Even after all this time, he hadn’t lost his touch.

“I thought I’d find you out here.” He turned at the sound of her voice. He saw Omera walking towards him. “I know you don’t really take “walks” when you say you’re going on a walk,” she said with a chuckle and she walked up to him.

“I’m sorry,” he said ashamed and she sighed as she sat in the grass and took off her helmet. He took his off and sat beside her.

“So tell me why you won’t take that job, Din.”

“Because that’s not who I am anymore.”

“Din. Come on. I can tell when you’re lying. I’m your wife, remember?” She turned to face him, to look deeply into his eyes. “Please talk to me, Din.” Her husband sighed.

“I just don’t want to risk losing you, losing our son again. What if, stars forbid, something happened and I couldn’t get back to you? We spent so much time apart. I’m not going to do it again.”

“Who says we have to be apart?”

“Honey, did you not hear Cara? He killed three bounty hunters and almost killed her! It’s far too dangerous.”

“Dangerous for him. We’ve defeated a warlord and half of an Imperial army. We have each other’s backs out there. We can succeed. I know this is what you’ve been wanting for a while now.”

“What about the Kid? Sala and Sei are a big help but we can’t possibly expect them to look after him,” Din protested.

“So, we’ll bring him with us! As we’ve seen, he’s pretty good in a fight. Come on, Din. If you won’t do this for you, then do it for me. I’ve been wanting to get out of here just as long as you have. I know this is my home, but I’ve never left Sorgan. I want to travel the stars with you. Can’t you picture it?” she said excitedly as she helped him to his feet and spun in circles around him. He chuckled.

“You sure this is what you want? A life like the one I had, it’s hard sometimes,” he said as he pulled her close and rested his forehead on hers.

“I’m sure of it. I know this is what you’ve been wanting too, my love,” she said as she kissed him tenderly.

“Alright then,” he said with a grin. “We’ll go.”


	2. Burning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din and Omera set off on their mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope this chapter finds yall well! I'm so sorry it took so long to update. Life has been crazy. On the bright side, with everything being canceled, I will have plenty of time to write and will try to provide a steady string of updates to keep you occupied while quarantined. Now, without further ado. Enjoy! WARNING: This chapter contains smut.

“Alright, Karga, where’s Ninx’s base of operations? We’ll start there,” Din said to the holograph projection of the bounty hunter that was projected on his dashboard. Omera sat in the co-pilot’s chair beside him with the baby on her lap. She couldn’t stop gazing in wonder at the view from the window as the ship left Sorgan’s atmosphere and rose into space. She’d never seen so many stars in her life.

“He runs his syndicate out of Coruscant,” Cara’s voice came from somewhere beyond the holograph's projection.

“Coruscant? Isn’t that a political capital? The senate is there,” Omera pointed out.

“Well, the Senate doesn’t really have any power. Emperor Palpatine took full control, and then after the Alliance took over the assumed full control. They are more of a House of Representatives now the Alliance takes into consideration when making decisions. The whole system is needlessly complicated if you ask me.”

“Well, as lovely as it would be to discuss politics with you Karga, we probably should stay focused on Ninx,” Omera said and Din looked over at her. He could picture the amused look on her face through her helmet.

“Right. Sorry. I’ve arranged accommodations for you two and the kid at one of the hotels in the city. Cara will meet you there in the morning and hopefully, by then we will have direct coordinates to Ninx’s location. 

“And if you don’t?” Din queried.

“Well, you were able to trace the Kid with a fifty-year-old fob and no bounty puck. I’m sure you can manage tracking a crime lord who makes no effort to hide who he is.

“Copy that. We’re making the jump to hyperspace now. We’ll contact you when we’re settled,” Din said before switching off the commlink and preparing for the journey. Before he made the jump, he turned to his wife and son.

“You ready for this?” he asked.

“More than ever,” she replied, and he flipped the switch. There was a hum that steadily grew louder as the ship powered up and suddenly the individual stars turned to a tunnel of bright streaks as the ship blasted forward. Omera could scarcely breathe.

“Wow!” she said in awe. “That’s incredible!” He chucked at her childlike wonder. He had to admit the _Razorcrest_ was a lot more bearable with the company.

 _“Pehea cuyir gar mandoa?”_ he asked as he turned to her.

 _"Jate. Ni jorhaa'ir bic pirusti. Ni suvarir,"_ she replied, and he nodded in approval. She’d been an impressively fast learner in the ways of the Mandalorian in the past year and where she once stumbled over the difficult Mandoa language, she now spoke it as fluently as a true Mandalorian.

“Good. I know you said you could handle this, and I know that you can, but we are about to enter some very dangerous territory. As far as Ninx and his men are concerned, we are just target practice for them. We need to keep each other safe.” He grabbed her hand. “We are not husband and wife when we are here. We are just clanmates. If anyone discovered our bond, they could use me to get to you, or vice versa. If you are ever in trouble, or we need to regroup, we’ll speak in Mandoa.”

Omera nodded and he felt her squeeze his hand reassuringly.

“We’ll be just fine. This is going to be easy after all we’ve been through.” She turned to once more look at the tunnel of stars the ship was currently speeding through as she bounced the baby on her knee. “Admit it, you’re just a little excited to be back here doing this kind of thing.”

He paused for a moment. “Alright. Yes. I miss this life sometimes, but that doesn’t make me any less happy with you.”

“I don’t think that at all, my love. I’m just thankful that I am here, sharing this with you. I’ve wanted it for a while now,” she replied.

********

The ship came out of hyperspace and entered Coruscant’s atmosphere by nightfall. The towering skyscrapers and buzzing of the city lights we stunning in the night. As they lowered into the docking bay, she spotted lifeforms and beings from all walks of life bustling around. She’d never seen so many individuals gathered in one place. It was a touch intimidating.

“Come on, my love,” Din said softly as he started to climb down the ladder to the cargo bay below.

He waited at the bottom and took the Child from her so that she could climb down. The stood at the ramp, preparing for what lay beyond.

“Are you ready for this?” he asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she replied. He squeezed her hand reassuringly before releasing his grip and pressing the button to lower the ramp. As the two Mandalorians exited the ship with their adopted son tucked safely and out of sight in a small brown sack, Omera couldn’t help but feel a small twinge of fear creep around her heart.

Yes, she was excited to be doing this, and she’d been waiting so long to escape the sleepy little village on Sorgan but the massive, seemingly endless crowds of Coruscant were daunting, and she knew Din would not be there as a husband to her. She could feel him transforming into the cold, militant warrior that first arrived on Sorgan a little over a year ago. He was becoming something she didn’t recognize right before her eyes.

 _"Cuyir morut'yc, cyar'ika,”_ she heard him say softly and just like that, her apprehension melted away. Whatever he might have to become while in the field, the Din that she’d fallen in love with, her husband, was still there. The Coruscant nightlife was in full swing and each turn the cruiser took revealed new and interesting sights. Poverty mixed with the elegant and wealthy.

The pair walked to the transportation Karga had provided for them that would take them from the docking bay to their hotel. Omera had never seen such a lush cruiser in her life. She climbed in and Din followed before the cruiser took off into the night. The cruiser paused for a moment to allow traffic to pass and Omera spotted a shawda ubb playing a Growdi Harmonique outside a club as a pair of female Utapaun in gaudy dresses and robes walked past. Everywhere there was noise and lights and living beings and droids.

At last, the cruiser arrived at their hotel and the Mandalorians entered the sleek, towering building. Din picked up their key cards, which indicated that their room was on the second to the top floor. When they arrived on their designated floor and found their room, Din used the keycard to unlock the door and he opened it to reveal a luxurious room with a sweeping view of the city through a giant panoramic window. Everything was decorated in grays and blacks, giving the room a cool, modern feel.

“Wow,” Omera breathed out loud. The view alone impressed her.

“I know. When Karga said he would provide room and board he wasn’t kidding,” Din agreed. The pair entered the room and closed the door behind them. They were now safe from curious eyes and could relax.

Once they were settled and the baby was fed, Omera settled him down in a makeshift nest she’d fashioned for him out of some blankets and pillows in the large walk-in closet. He must have been tuckered out because he went down without a fuss almost immediately. The unmistakable sound of the shower running drifted out from behind the closed bathroom door and she guessed Din was washing the day off. She stripped her armor off and piled it neatly beside her helmet before slipping her padded vest and pants off. The sheer relief and freedom that came after taking off her armor and padding never failed to fill her with joy. She went one step further and took off her underclothes, relishing in the feeling of total freedom. She donned her silky, almost transparent black robe that had been a wedding gift from Sala and wandered aimlessly to the large window. She looked out the vast window at the sprawling city below. She couldn’t believe her eyes as the bright lights and bustling activity lit up the night. Back on Sorgan, night meant everything was closed up and done for the day but not here. No, on Coruscant nothing ever slept. She heard her husband’s soft footsteps behind her and felt his hand on her shoulder through the thin, gauzy material of her robe.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” she heard him say softly.

“I’ve never seen anything like it.

“I’ve been to Coruscant a few times, but it never fails to impress me when I come.Where’s the baby?”

“He’s asleep. The closet made a nice little room for him so the lights of the city wouldn’t keep him awake,” she replied.

Omera turned to look at the man before her. He only wore the black pants that kept his legs padded from his beskar. She could make out his soft features in the city lights as she wrapped her arms around his slim waist and kissed him softly yet longingly. He returned the kiss as he pulled her close. His fingers ran lightly up her back and she shivered. Pulling back long enough to catch her breath, she could see the look of desire in his eyes. Without another word, he leaned in and started to trail light kisses up her neck and along her jawline as he gently slid the sheer robe off her body. Her breath stuttered a little and she found herself powerless against his hands as they lead her to the queen-sized bed. He carefully yet with some directness pressed her back onto the mattress and she felt the soft bedding caress her bare back as his powerful body leaned over her. His mouth was on her neck once more and she felt every nerve in her system go up in flames. There was the soft ruffle of fabric as he slipped out of his pants and underwear before she felt his warm skin against hers once more. The look of passion and love on his face made her stomach summersault within her as she ran her hand down his cheek affectionately. She wrapped her shapely legs around him, pulling him closer to her and a soft moan escaped his lips. He leaned forward so that his arms were resting on the bed on either side of her head as he started to move his hips against her. She couldn’t stop the soft cry of pleasure that escaped her lips.

 _“Ner cyare,”_ Omera breathed softly in his ear and she felt a shudder go down his body as his pace picked up. She knew he loved it when she spoke his native tongue.

 _“Cyar'ika,”_ he moaned softly back before he kissed her hungrily. Her taste lingered on his lips.

Omera wanted to be overcome by his strength and passion. Each drive of his powerful body filled her with pleasure, unlike anything she experienced as her nails clawed his back. Sweat rolled down his body and mingled with her own and they reached their peak, moaning each other’s names before he collapsed onto the bed beside her, panting from his effort. She curled beside him with her head resting on his chest. His heart was still pounding.

 _“Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum,”_ he said tenderly.

 _“Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum,”_ she replied.

These quiet moments, when it was just the two of them together were her favorites. There was no armor separating them. They were at their most vulnerable like this, and yet theirs was a trust and connection between them that was unlike anything on this earth. Sharing words into the ancient tongue of the Mandalore only served to deepen the connection between them. Man and wife, partners and comrades. In the year that Din had trained her in the Mandalorian creed, she’d learned just how deeply their ties and bonds to one another were. She was honored that Din had chosen to forge that bond with her.

**Translations:**

  * _Pehea cuyir gar mandoa?_ -How is your Mandoa?
  * _Jate. Ni jorhaa'ir bic pirusti. Ni suvarir._ -Good. I speak it well. I understand. 
  * _Cuyir morut'yc, cyar'ika._ -It's safe, Darling. 
  * _Ner cyare._ -My beloved
  * _Cyar'ika_ -Darling 
  * _Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum._ -I love you. 



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading! Rate and review!


	3. The Parlay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din and Omera meet the greatest crime lord in the galaxy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers! I know it has been so long since I updated this story and I'm so sorry! I hit a little bit of writer's block and then of course this pandemic has made everything so crazy but I'm back and ready to give you all more of this incredible series. Enjoy!

Omera woke the next morning, excited and ready to work. She turned to her husband who was still sleeping peacefully and kissed his lips. A soft grin played around his lips as he started to stir.

“Come on, handsome. It’s time to start the day,” she called softly in a sing-song voice and his eyes fluttered open.

“Good morning, _cyar'ika_ ,” he said with a grin as he pulled her in for a sleepy kiss.

“Good morning to you too, _ner cyare_ she murmured back. “You ready for this?”

“I am,” he said with a grin.

There was a loud banging on the door suddenly and Cara came bursting into the room.

“There’s been a change in plans!” she announced.

“Ah! Cara geeze!” Omera cried as she pulled up the sheet to hide their exposed bodies.

“Relax, I’ve seen both of you without your helmets on and I made sure you weren’t doing anything before I came in. There’s been a slight change in plans,” she repeated as she dropped a large black bag down. 

“What’s going on?” Din asked as he pulled the covers up to cover his bare chest.

“Well, the original plan was for you and Omera to storm Ninx’s hideout and take out the problem at the source. However, I think either Ninx anticipated this or he’s fed up with Karga sending hunters after him so he’s setting up a parlay with Karga. I can’t go obviously because he knows who I am but you two will go as bodyguards,” Cara explained.

“Bodyguards?” Omera asked curiously.

“Don’t worry. You’ll get your shot. Karga is going to have you come with him just to scope a few things out. When you see an opening, you’ll take him out.”

“What are you going to be doing?” Din asked.

“I’m gonna sit this one out and be Auntie Cara for a bit so you two don’t have to worry about the kid. Now, get dressed Karga and I will be waiting for you in the lobby,” Cara said before leaving the room as abruptly as she came. Both husband and wife shook their heads in amusement.

“Well, subtle was never Cara’s strong suit,” Din chucked as he got out of bed and pulled on his clothes. Once dressed, he walked over and bent down to inspect the duffle bag Cara had left behind.

“What’s in there?” Omera asked as she got out of bed to get dressed herself.

“Weapons from the _Crest_. And a good bit at that. She expects it to get ugly,” Din said as he rifled through the small armory Cara had been so kind to pack.”

“Well, she should know. She’s faced Ninx before.”

“Explains why we don’t have anything bigger than blasters in here. She wants us to be discreet and not intimidate the poor bastard.”

“Well let’s hop to it. I don’t want to keep them waiting,” Omera replied and Din turned to look at his wife who was already halfway into her armor. He strode over to her and cupped her face gently before leaning in and planting a gentle kiss on her lips.

“I love you,” he murmured softly before starting to get into his armor. Omera couldn’t hide the smile on her face nor the color rushing into her cheeks.

********

The two Mandalorians armed to the hilt and carrying the little green baby strolled through the crowded lobby and met with Karga and Cara.

“Nice to see you two. I trust you slept well. Now, Ninx expects us to meet him at his penthouse so let’s get a move on. This man doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

Din turned to Cara and handed over his son to her. Over the past year, he’d gotten more and more trustful of leaving his small green ward with others but there was always that twinge of fear that something was going to go wrong if he let the kid out of his sight. Omera said that was the mark of a good father. Cara took the baby with care and Din turned back to Karga.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

********

Omera was disappointed in the city during the day. It didn’t twinkle as fantastically as it had last night. During the day everything looked dull and dusty. She supposed Coruscant was just one of those planets that one could only appreciate at night. Ninx’s hideout hadn’t been hard to find. There were very few buildings that swept so high into the air as the crime lord’s penthouse. When they arrived, all three bounty hunters found themselves craning their necks as they looked up at the towering skyscraper.

“That has to be the largest building I’ve ever seen,” Omera said breathlessly.

“I have to admit, I’ve been all over this galaxy, but I’ve never seen anything quite like this,” Din agreed. Omera turned to Karga.

“How does he get away with being this brazen? If he’s a criminal, shouldn’t he be in hiding or on the run?” Omera asked curiously.

“Everyone is afraid of him. They can’t seem to pin him down. Anyone who has tried to bring him in just disappears without a trace,” Karga explained.

“Well not today. Today, we’re bringing him in cold,” Din said. Omera picked up a cold steel in his tone and it sent shivers down her spine. She’d never heard him talk like that before. She shook it off. They were at work now. They had to be different now.

“Come on. Let’s not be late,” Karga urged as he headed inside and the Mandalorians followed him.

If the outside of the penthouse was anything to be impressed by, the inside was impressive ten times over. Every square inch of the roomy building from lobby, to elevator, to main apartment oozed luxury and wealth. Din could hardly believe that one being in this whole galaxy could possess so much. Ninx was unlike anyone he’d ever encountered in his travels. The elevator doors parted to reveal what could only be described as a throne room. Din had worked with plenty of Hutts over the years and their leaders always had the same set up; trusted friends and guests lucky enough to make the inner circle, throngs of half-dressed women provided for entertainment, booze, drugs, music, and of course, the leader himself would be propped up on some throne in the middle of it all. Ninx had the same set up, but his seemed gaudier and wealthier, making the Hutts look like dirty, second-hand scum.

“Ah, now doesn’t this paint a fearsome picture,” the Chiss cooed from his VIP seat by the bar. The music stopped as Karga and his bodyguards moved from the elevator to the depths of the penthouse. “What? Did you think coming with bodyguards would make this play out better for you? Mandalorian bodyguards no less,” Ninx scoffed. Din did a mental scan of the room, noting the armed security standing in the shadows ready to spring at a moment’s noticed. Technically, they were grossly outnumbered. But then again, these thugs had never faced a Mandalorian before.

“Well, I have pissed you off quite a bit over the last few months,” Karga explained as Ninx got off of his chair and strolled to the group, surveying them intently. “I thought it would be unwise to come without at least a little back up should this prove to be a trap.”

“After everything you’ve tried to pull, Karga, a trap is what you deserve,” Ninx hissed as he moved in closer to Omera. “I take it his payment for your services comes…carnally,” he purred softly as he ran a hand up her arm. Omera didn’t budge and she was thankful that her helm hid her nauseated expression. “I wonder if I might be able to buy you later. You could leave the helmet on. That would make things interesting.” Din tensed as he watched this slimy bastard touch his wife and speak to her in such a way, but he pushed his feelings aside. He had to play this calm and detached and when the time was right, he would be sure to put a blaster shot right through Ninx’s skull.

“Now Ninx, I know you’re a busy man so if you’d like to get on with it,” Karga urged and Ninx grinned slyly.

“Everyone out. I would like to speak with Karga alone,” he ordered, and the party goers and musicians started to make their way for the exit. Din took this opportunity to move closer to Omera.

“ _Cuyir gar jate_?” Din asked softly. 

“Elek. Ni'm jate,” Omera replied. 

“ _Bic ni skana'din_.” 

“ _Ni kar'taylir, ner cyare_ ,” Omera reassured. 

“ _Ni'll kyr'amur ibic ge'hutuun_.” 

There was something akin to stone cold hatred in Din’s voice and again Omera felt chills down her spine as the rest of the guests finished clearing out and Ninx and Karga sat at the bar across from one another. She hung back with Din, standing as still as a statue and waiting for the signal. True to Mandalorian form.

“So, the trade off is simple, you quit sending your hunters after me, you pay me restitution for the damages you’ve already cause, the men you’ve killed, and in return, I’ll let you walk out of here with your life and limb,” Ninx said as casually as if he was ordering dinner. Karga scoffed.

“This was supposed to be a parlay not a takeover. I’ll quit sending my men after you, pay you _nothing_ , and you leave the Outer Rim alone.” Ninx could help laughing but Din detected a slight bit of irritation.

“Are you mad? Do you not know who I am? You’re lucky you’re still breathing,” Ninx hissed.

“But the Outer Rim is _my_ turf!” Karga protested.

“The Outer Rim is home to some of the most profitable and unsupervised black-market trade in the galaxy. I will not give that up.”

“Over my dead body will I give it up!” Karga shouted as he jumped to his feet.

“I think I can arrange that!” Ninx jumped up as well and reached for the blaster at his hip but Din already had his in his hand and was pointing it at the crime lord. Ninx’s men had also be triggered during the brief altercation and had their blasters trained on the Mandalorians. It would be over in a second. The Mandalorians and Karga would be dead but then again so would he.

“Don’t be a fool,” Din warned gruffly, and a sly smile spread over Ninx’s face.

“There is no need for such bloodshed. It was smart of you to bring Mandalorians, Karga,” Ninx purred as he sat back down and took his hand off his blaster. The rest of the room relaxed, and Din felt himself uncoil. He hadn’t wanted this job to get messy. Swift and quiet was his preferred style.

“Alright. You’ve impressed me Karga, and I would be a fool to try and negotiate further with Mandalorians present so. Here is my final offer. You will quit sending men after me, I won’t make you pay for anything, although I should, and I continue to do operations on the Outer Rim, but I allow you to continue running your guild out there as will and…if you come across any of my men in your bounties perhaps you just toss those ones out. Now, do we have a deal?” The room was silent for a moment. “I suggest you take it Karga, or my next offer will result in your head detaching from your body, Mandalorians or not,” Ninx growled.

“Alright, Ninx. You’ve got yourself a deal,” Karga agreed.

“Excellent, shall we drink on it?” Even Omera, who was not as seasoned in this kind of life as Din, knew that to take a drink with such a man would be foolish. Who knows what Ninx might have spiked the drink with. Thankfully Karga had the same amount of sense.

“While I would be honored, we have other business to attend. Thank you,” Karga said as he stood and turned to leave.

“I’m glad we could work this out, Karga,” Ninx said slyly as he watched the small troop enter the elevator and disappear from sight as the doors closed. “Follow them,” Ninx ordered one of his men. “And kill them all. Nobody makes me negotiate.”

The bodyguard nodded and motioned for a few more of the armed thugs to accompany him.

********

Din, Omera, and Karga grouped close together outside.

“Alright, I’m off to a cantina just around the corner. As soon as it’s done, give me a call,” Karga instructed.

“Don’t get drunk. This will be quick,” Din warned. He knew the habits of his former employer well. Karga rolled his eyes and climbed into their rented cruiser before speeding off. Din turned to his wife.

“Are you ready, _cyar'ika_?” Din asked and Omera nodded in affirmation. She was silently readying herself before the fight just as she had done when they took out Donaroy and just like she had done before the Battle of Sorgan. Only this was different. She was a Mandalorian now. There was no room for mistakes. Her husband was counting on her to do her part and be his other half in this fight or they wouldn’t make it out alive. Drills and routines and rules and strategies were flinging themselves around in her mind as she followed Din back into the penthouse.

The hadn’t reached the elevator yet when the Mandalorians ran into Ninx’s thugs. There wasn’t time to speak or negotiate as shots were fired. Omera pulled her twin blasters from her holsters and fired at the on coming thugs as Din finished off two more with the vibroblade attached to his bracer. Omera didn’t even have time to catch her breath or survey their work before Din started for the elevator.

“Come on. There’s not a moment to lose. Ninx has eyes everywhere and he’s seen what we’ve done,” he said. His voice was calm and unwavering, and it soothed her nerves a little as she followed him into the lift, and he punched the button for the penthouse. In about sixty seconds the lift halted at the top floor and the doors whooshed open. All was dark except for the soft glow of the track lights around the wet bar on one side of the room and the towering, floor to ceiling tube lamp that occupied the far-right corner. Din took a cautious step inside the room when a sudden, shadowy movement caught his eye.

“Move!” Din shouted as he pushed Omera behind the cover of a sleek couch just as a spray of bullets issued from the dark. Omera ducked and saw to her relief that Din had managed to throw himself behind a chair and had not been injured in the spray.

“Come out and play, little Mandalorians,” Ninx taunted from somewhere in the room.

Translations:

“ _Cuyir gar jate_?” -Are you good?

“Elek. Ni'm jate.” -Yes. I’m good.

“Bic ni skana'din.” -That pissed me off.

“Ni kar'taylir, ner cyare.” -I know, my love.

“Ni'll kyr'amur ibic ge'hutuun.” -I’m going to kill this bastard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! I'll be back to my regular updates. As always, rate and review!


	4. Strike the Match

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din and Omera face the most powerful crime lord in the galaxy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers! As promised, another chapter! This one actually required me to change some of the tags for this story so I hope you enjoy the little twist. I'm so happy to be writing this one again. Enjoy!

“We’ve got to move. We can’t stay pinned down like this,” Din called. He paused a beat before he pulled his blaster, jumped up from his spot and fired a few shots, killing one of the thugs. “Let’s go!” he called before plunging deep into the firefight. He front kicked a thug that was charging at him and knocked him to the floor before shooting him in the chest.

Omera started to get up but a few shots clipped her armor and she ducked down again. Fear kept her frozen in place as the blaster fire intensified. It was one thing to train with Din for hours. Targets didn’t shoot back and when she and Din fought he was always willing to let up when she needed it or point out patiently when she did something wrong and offer to run back through the drill with her. There was no gentle encouragement or helpful advice now. Only a torrent of blaster fire and her own memories of what to do tumbling over each other frantically in her mind as she desperately tried to remember everything she was taught and had practiced a thousand times. Ninx must have been prepared for him because there was definitely more of his allies in the room now then there were before.

“Come on! You have to move!” She heard Din cry. She knew if she didn’t move, if she didn’t get up the courage to join the fight, Din would surely be overrun and killed by Ninx’s thugs. Swallowing her fear, Omera shot to her feet, took aim, and fired at an unsuspecting henchmen just like she’d practiced with Din. Her instincts were kicking in and she was slowly but surely becoming more and more comfortable. She moved deeper into the fight and soon, husband and wife were fighting back to back, taking out Ninx’s men left and right.

“They just seem to keep coming,” Omera commented as she ducked and fired at one of the thugs just as Din fired over her at another.

“Well, Karga mentioned he was powerful. I’m certain he has a whole army at his disposal,” Din responded as he sliced through a man who was stupid enough to attempt a flailing dive at the Mandalorian.

“Have you seen Ninx?”

“Not yet. I keep hearing him. I think he’s somewhere further back in the apartment.” Din spun Omera around so their places were switched and Omera shot two more thugs before taking the briefest of looks around the room.

“Hi men are coming from somewhere in the back of the room. There has to be a hallway or another room there.”

“Let’s start pushing this fight back that way,” Din directed and Omera nodded in the affirmative. Her confidence was growing steadily. They parted ways to take on their own attackers.

Din was a swift flow of blaster and vibroblade. Henchmen were dropping rapidly by his hand. He couldn’t believe how natural he felt in the midst of this fight. For a year he’d denied his skills and abilities in favor of living a peaceful and quiet life as a farmer. The village was welcoming and Omera had been gracious and patient with him, but he couldn’t help but feel that he didn’t quite fit in. He also couldn’t shake the feeling that the people of the village only accepted him because they were afraid of what he could do. He’d killed so many villagers while under the control of the Imperial Remnant, and while Omera had reassured him that he’d been forgiven of what he’d done, Din could always see the tint of fear in the eyes of the villagers when he walked past in his armor. But out here, hunting, tracking, and fighting; it was were he belonged. This was were he fit in.

A shot struck his pauldron and he turned and killed the offender. Glancing up, he spotted a balcony overlooking the living room they were in below. Ninx himself was watching with glee from above. They had to get up there. Din shot a glance at his wife who was busy taking down a few other men and decided that she more than had it covered. He needed to find out how to get to Ninx and end this fight now before it got out of control. He scanned the room and spotted a hallway near the floor to ceiling tube-lamp. Surely that must how to access the rest of the penthouse. Plunging forward, Din cut through two more thugs and leaped over a couch with full intent to make it to the hallway. He trusted that Omera would follow when she had the chance, The had trained to be receptive to each other’s movements in battle. It was what made them effective warriors.

Omera had flinched when she heard the metallic clang of a blaster shot against beksar but it didn’t precede a pained yell so she assumed Din was alright. There were shouts to her left and she looked over to see three of Ninx’s men rubbing straight for her and brandishing vibroblades. In a spilt second she shoved the coffee table she was standing next to with her foot, putting all her strength behind it. The men were barreled over by the table and pinned against the wall where she finished them off with three swift shots. The dust settled long enough for her to steal a glance towards Din’s general direction and spotted him running for the edge of the room. With Ninx’s men somewhat thinned out, Omera took off and caught up with her husband, finally spotting the hallway which she assumed was his intended target.

“Come on. Ninx is on the balcony above. Look for a staircase,” Din told her before the two Mandalorians charged into the dark hallway. “Stay close,” he told her as he switched the headlamp attached to his helmet on, lighting their way. Omera stayed right on Din’s heels, poised to strike should she be needed and tried to get her heavy breathing under control.

“They quit coming once we got to the hallway,” Omera observed as she peeked into an alcove, looking for a way up.

“They are probably waiting for us at the top. It makes more sense for them to make us take the fight there. Keep a sharp eye out.”

The pair did not see another bruiser as they traversed through the dark. At the end of the hallway there was a staircase waiting for them. Cautiously, they made it to the second floor but this time, they were prepared for the barrage of blaster fire that met them.

“Don’t let them get through!” Ninx shouted.

Din checked the balcony. There was an exit exactly opposite of the way they’d entered. That was the only safe way off this balcony. He was determined to put himself between that exit and Ninx in order to trap him. With no way of escape, the criminal would be easy to pick off then.

“Guard this entrance! Don’t let him escape!” Din called to Omera before making his way to the other entrance, slicing and firing his way through and noting that Ninx was also headed in that direction. The under lord must have realized the tide was rapidly shifting against him.

A wild punch caught Omera on the side of the helmet and she almost laughed at the pathetic and frail attempt to take her out. The attacker was cut down in the next breath by her own vibroblade. They were almost there. They were almost done. She just had to do what Din said, guard the exit and take out thugs. She threw up her arm to block another blow aimed for her head. This time it was a heavy club. The metal clanged against the beskar but she was hardly rattled as she fired another killing shot. Her confidence was soaring, but sadly, short lived. A pained cry was pulled from her lips as one of the henchmen that had snuck up unnoticed as she fought slammed his foot into the back of her knee. Her leg gave away like sand against the wind and she crumpled to the ground. The thug was on her in a flash, pulling out a blade and moved to dig it deep into her neck. She pushed back on the man’s arm with all her strength but he was slowly making progress to her body.

“Help!” The terrified cry slipped out before she could stifle it. Her brain and any common sense was paralyzed with fear.

Din jerked around at the sound of her cry and saw her predicament. He took a few steps and aimed at the man, killing him with one swift shot to the head. Ninx took the temporary distraction as an opportunity to spring forward and grab onto Din, locking his arm painfully behind his back and rendering his blaster useless. Din grunted and flailed, trying to shake the attacker off of him but every movement only seemed to yank his arm further back it its socket and strengthen the Chiss’ grip.

“Take the shot!” Din cried before letting out a yelp as Ninx yanked his arm again and pulled him off balance so that Din couldn’t get the leverage he needed to break free from his grip.

Omera heard her husband yell and scrambled to her feet. Her hands were shaking as she aimed at the Chiss who now pulled out a vibroblade intending to run Din through. This wasn’t a little tremble, she was practically quaking as she stared down the barrel of her blaster. It was just a simple, well-aimed shot to the head. She could do that. She’d done it before and yet, she couldn’t quiet her mind. She fired and to her horror, the shot went wide and struck Din in the shoulder with a loud clang. Almost simultaneously Ninx drove the blade straight through Din’s side just below the protective chest plate. A strangled gasp echoed through Din’s helmet as his body jerked helplessly. Ninx laughed as he twisted the dagger viciously before tearing it out with a sickening squelch. The Mandalorian slid from his arms to the floor. Omera wanted to scream in horror but the sound died in her throat.

“You fools. You really thought you could take on me? No one else could! Was it because you’re Mandalorians? Was that what made you so foolishly stupid?” Ninx taunted as he stepped over Din whose life was slipping away rapidly and pooling on the floor in a red puddle.

Omera tried to inch away from the rapidly approaching criminal and reached for her blaster. Ninx was on her in the next breath, laughing as he knocked her blaster away. He grabbed her wrists and pinned her to the ground. A frighten whimper pushed past her lips.

“Mmmm looks like I’m going to have you after all, Little Mandalorian,” Ninx murmured lustfully as he gathered both her wrists with one hand and continued to hold them tightly above her head so she was stretched out and at his mercy. With his free hand he traced the side of her helmet. “Now, let’s see that pretty face under all this steel.” His fingers curled under the edge and Omera shook her head frantically, trying to break free as she squeezed her eyes shut tightly.

A shot rang out. Omera felt the body pressed heavily on top of her jerk and spasm. Something dripped onto her visor with a soft pinging sound. Cautiously she opened her eyes just as Ninx slumped forward with blood dripping from his mouth and a perfectly aimed shot to the back of the head. Hurriedly, Omera slid out from underneath the body and let it drop carelessly to the floor. The blood from the dead criminal the had pooled on her visor now raced down the front of her helm and dripped onto the floor grotesquely. She felt her stomach roll in a nauseated fashion. A soft grunt captured her attention and she looked to her husband who was slumped over on his uninjured side with the blaster still in his hand. One look at the bloodied drag marks on the floor told of how Din, severely injured as he was, had just managed to drag himself over to his fallen blaster and execute the crime lord once and for all, saving her in the process. Omera choked back tears as she quickly ran to him and knelt by his side. She could hear his desperate gasps for breath wheezing through his modulator. The pool of blood around him was frighteningly large.

“Din? Din please stay with me,” she begged as she pressed down gently on the wound, eliciting a clipped groan from him.

“Have to get out of here,” Din growled as he tried not to move too much under her hand. He didn’t want to scare her but dear lord every breath he managed to pull felt like pure fire. He probably had roughly five minutes left of strength in him before he succumbed to the pain.

“Can you walk?”

“Yeah,” Din huffed as his trembling hand fumbled to his side to put pressure on the wound freeing her hand. Omera got to her feet and slowly helped him to stand on shaky legs. Dark spots danced before his eyes and the light-headedness came so fast Din was sure he was going to black out right then. He swayed on his feet and his wife caught him before he could pitch forward.

“Din, you can’t walk like this. You’ll black out before we even make it to the exit,” Omera said, shouldering some of his weight.

“Have no choice,” Din wheezed and started taking a few steps forward. He was right, Omera knew this but watching him limp and bleed profusely was tying knots of worry in her stomach. This was all her fault.

Din cursed inwardly. They had just made it to the top of the stairs and he already felt like he was out of breath. A wet cough issued from him and Din tasted blood. It was filling his mouth and coating his throat. _Shit_ , he thought. Omera heard the congestion in his cough and years of being a medic had trained her to pick up on symptoms.

“Din, you’re coughing up blood,” she said as they made it down the first two steps.

“No,” Din wheezed out. The stairway seemed to stretch out infinitely before his eyes and his head spun dizzily.

“Din,” Omera urged as she helped him to the next step and then the next. The pace they were going was frustratingly slow and Din sounded like he was getting worse and worse with every step.

“Blade caught my lung,” he finally said in a strained voice. He was breathy and difficult to understand which scared Omera even more. Oxygen was escaping his body faster than the blood that spilled past her hand.

“Ok, ok. Just hang tight. We’re almost there. Just focus on breathing, _Ner cyare,”_ she pleaded, trying to tap into his strength through his native tongue. There was something about the ancient Mando’a that brought strength and determination to its warriors and she needed Din to soak up as much of that strength as possible.

At last they got to the bottom of the stairs and then it was a slow, limping trek to the elevator. Din practically stumbled inside and slumped against the wall, desperately gasping for breath that was getting hard and harder to come by and pressing a cold hand against the wound. His energy was completely sapped. Really, he just wanted to lay down and close his eyes as the elevator doors closed and the lift started its journey to the lobby. His wife was at his side once more.

“Din? Hey, stay awake ok? I can’t tell if you’re awake under there,” Omera pressed. She could no longer hide the worry in her voice and Din drug his eyes open.

“I’m here,” he muttered before more harsh coughs racked his chest. He couldn’t hide the whimper of pain that came up with the blood that was now choking him. He leaned forward and lifted his helmet just enough to spit out the blood that filled up his mouth.

“Damn it,” Omera whispered in horror as she rubbed his back comfortingly. She felt sick with guilt and it took everything in her not to retch right along with him.

Din let his helmet slip back on and groaned as he leaned back against the wall once more. With a ding, the doors parted, revealing the lobby. Omera threw his arm around her shoulders.

“Come on, Din. We’re almost there. Let’s radio Karga and get out of here. He said he wasn’t going far.” Din nodded and activated the radio on his bracer.

“Karga!” Din growled over his comm. He knew the bounty hunter hadn’t gone far.

“Ah! Mando! I trust you’ve finished,” Karga’s voice bellowed over the comm.

“Y-yeah. We-we-” Din couldn’t get the words out. The burning pain in his side was growing more and more intense. He couldn’t breathe and his head was starting to spin.

“Karga we need a transport immediately. Din’s hurt badly and we’re sitting ducks out here. Please come quick,” Omera injected into the comm.

“I’m on my way. Hang tight. I’ll be there in five,” Karga responded before cutting out. Omera turned to her husband and pulled him closer to her, trying to simultaneously keep him from falling onto the street and stanch the bleeding.

“Din, Din please stay with me. I’m-I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Omera said in a soft shaky voice.

“ _Cyar'ika_ ,” he rasped. Everything was spinning. Words were sloshing in his brain and he couldn’t sort out his English and Mando’a. Karga needed to get here and get here fast because he couldn’t stay vertical much longer.

Omera searched frantically for Karga in the throngs of people. She was shocked that everyone was going about their lives as if a full scale firefight hadn’t gone down five minutes ago just beyond the doors of the penthouse. No one really seemed to even notice that Din was half slumped over and bleeding furiously or that there was blood on her helmet left over from Ninx.

“Where is he?” Din choked out. It was getting so hard to breathe now and his vision was starting to gray. Every second the stood there was another second that blood was oozing out of his body. A cruiser pulled up and to Omera’s relief, Karga was in the driver’s seat.

“Quick, get in!” Karga called and Omera struggled to drag her half-conscious husband to the cruiser and hauled him in. Din bit back a groan as he did what he could to pull himself onto the seat of the cruiser. He’s side burned viciously and a sharp cough pulled itself from his lungs. More blood in his mouth; more blood he was spitting out now rather than keeping it inside his body where it belonged.

“What happened?!”

“Just freaking drive Karga! We’ve got to get to the hotel now,” Omera shouted as she pulled Din’s head into her lap and pressed down on the stab wound. Another weak groan was pulled from him and he drew a couple of sharp breaths through clenched teeth.

“Alright, alright I’m going!” Karga exclaimed as he took off deep into the city.

********

Din honestly couldn’t remember the trip from Ninx’s penthouse or arriving at the hotel. He had no clue how he made it to their floor or into their room. One minute he was lying across the backseat of the cruiser in Omera’s lap and the next he was swimming up from some sort of timeless void to see Omera and Cara looking down at him worriedly. He could feel the give of the mattress underneath him but not the softness of the sheets. _Still in armor_ , he thought.

“Cara help me get this armor off,” Omera directed as she started to work at the straps on Din’s chest plate. Her hands were shaking but she forced herself to remain calm. Cara worked a fraction faster and by the time Omera was pulling his chest plate away Cara had already removed and piled up his pauldrons, bracers, gloves and cuisses. Din’s back arched as he groaned and his hand fumbled its way to Omera’s.

“Shit, that’s pretty deep,” Cara muttered as she inspected the wound.

“Yeah, he said the blade nicked his lung,” Omera reported.

“This isn’t just something we can patch up in the bathroom. He needs to go see a healer at once.”

“No,” Din gritted out. His breath hitched as the grip on Omera’s hand grew painfully tight.

“Din, now is not the time for you to put on the tough guy act. I’m giving it to you straight, this knife went right through you. It hit your lung and you’re coughing up blood. You need more help than we can give here.”

“Omera,” Din gritted out. Omera could hear the twinge of desperation in his voice.

“Let me talk to him for a sec in private please,” Omera said gently to Cara and Karga, who had been standing out of the way with the baby in his arms. Cara looked to Din, and then back to Omera before giving her a reluctant nod and leaving the room with Karga.

As soon as she was certain they were gone, Omera gently removed the helmet from her husband’s head as well as her own. They needed to see each other’s faces. They needed to be vulnerable for a minute while they sorted this out. She bit her lip when she saw his face. His skin was soaked with sweat and there was an expression of severe pain entrenched in his features. Blood trickled from the side of his mouth. It had been a long time since Din looked like this and it was her fault that he did now. She touched his cheek gently, getting his eyes to focus on her face.

“ _Meg vaabir gar linibar_?” she asked softly. “ _Rejorhaa'ir ni pehea at Gaa'tayl_.” (What do you need? Tell me how to help.)

The ancient tongue of his ancestors seemed to cut through the haze of pain because Din managed to calm his rapid breathing a bit and gather enough strength to respond.

“ _Ni don't copad a baar'ur_ ,” he wheezed out. (I don’t want a healer.)

“ _Tion'jor_?” (Why?)

Din responded but his words were clipped and running together and Omera was pretty sure he said words she was not familiar with. Din sensed her confusion. “Ninx has men everywhere,” he huffed out. It was getting so hard to breathe let alone talk. “I don’t trust anyone.” Omera nodded.

“Alright. I understand. Then we’re going to do this and we’re going to do it my way. I’m going to let the kid heal you -just a little bit!” She said before Din could interrupt her with a protest. “I know you don’t want him tuckering himself out but Cara’s right. This is a little more than a patch job.”

Din hesitated only a minute more before he nodded and coughed up more blood. It felt like he was drowning. Omera bit her lip nervously before running to the door of their room. If she knew Cara and Karga half as well as she thought she did they would be standing right outside the door. Her suspicions were correct.

Din groaned. His world was spinning and collapsing into a burning fire that was making it impossible to breathe. It was his own fault. She wasn’t ready. They could have trained more. He _should_ have trained with her more. He’d been stupid and let her jump into something she hadn’t been ready for. Everything had gone sideways because of his poor judgement. _Stupid_. More blood was filling his mouth and running down his throat. It was coming up now every time he breathed. He felt the mattress dip beside him and heard a soft coo. His son; his _ad._ He felt knots twist in his stomach. He hated using the kid’s powers on himself. He’d worked so hard to prevent people from using the baby’s natural gifts and it always made him feel like a hypocrite when they relied on his son to get them out of a jam.

“Din? Hey you with me?” He heard his wife call. He felt her guide his face in her direction. “Open your eyes, _ner cyare,”_ she begged. He drug his eyes open. He didn’t remember closing them as he desperately tried to focus in on Omera’s face. “He’s going to heal you now.”

Din nodded and without further hesitation, the baby put his hands on Din’s side, and closed his eyes. It had been a little over a year since the baby had healed him and the feeling was still as strange and foreign then as it was now. There was a tiny twinge of pain that made him gasp before he felt his body slowly start to heal itself. Breathing became easier and easier until it was normal once more. He felt the damaged flesh and tissue within him shift and knit itself back together. Yep, definitely the strangest sensation he’d ever encountered.

“That’s enough,” Din rasped taking the child’s hands gently in his after a few minutes. The baby fussed indignantly. With the hand attached to his uninjured side, Din gently picked up the little creature and settled him on his chest. “I know, little one. But I don’t want you to get worn out and sleep for days,” he said gently. The baby blinked at him with his giant and now sleepy eyes. Omera loved the way he talked to his son. Din was many things and had been many things in his lifetime, but a great father was one of them. She had to stop herself from picturing him with their children someday and focus at the pressing matter at hand.

“As soon as I get this stitched up with can all take a nap,” Omera said as she grabbed her first aid kit from her bag and brought it to the side of the bed, thankful that she’d come prepared for the worst.

First, she pulled out an antiseptic wipe from the package and swabbed the area throughly. Din flinched at the sudden cold sensation on his skin. Next, she quickly threaded a needle and prepared to stitch up the wound.

“Try to stay still,” she said softly. “I’ll try to be as quick as I can.” She carefully inserted the needle into his skin and began to close the wound. Din grunted softly but then settled as she worked. It wasn’t too bad as long as he didn’t think about it.

“I-I’m sorry, Din,” Omera stammered out as she focused on her stitching. “I failed you.” Her guilt had gotten too strong to ignore.

“You didn’t fail me,” he replied in a low voice, trying not to disrupt her work. “They got on top of you. It happens. It’s happened to me before.”

“Yeah, well this little mistake almost got you killed, Din,” Omera said. She was angry, angry with herself. His hand touching her cheek tenderly stole her attention briefly from her work. She looked deep into his dark eyes, the same eyes she’d fallen in love with. His face may be hard and grizzled and stained with blood but his eyes; in them the Din she’d fallen in love with had taken shelter until this mission was over.

“It’s alright, _cyar’ika_ ,” he said gently. Color rose to her cheeks and he gave her a weak smile before she returned to the task at hand. It only took a few minutes more before the wound was closed securely. She added a little antibacterial cream as an added defense against infection before covering the wound with a clean dressing.

“There, you’re good to go. You need to rest though. You lost a lot of blood. I know he healed you but you’re body is still catching up,” She said gently as she folded the covers over him and the child who had drifted off to sleep on his chest.

“Will you stay?” He asked exhaustedly. His eyes were already closed.

“Of course,” she replied, already stripping off her armor.

When she was free of the beskar she climbed into the covers alongside her husband and snuggled close. The two Mandalorians and their adopted son had found sanctuary and rest with each other. Omera listened to Din’s steady breathing and sighed as she ran her hand soothingly through his hair. A fear filled her that he would somehow disappear from her, taking their love, their happiness, and their chance at a future family far away and feeling his skin under her touch reassured her. Today was a close call. She would never allow that to happen ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank y'all for reading! There's more to come! As always, rate and review!


	5. It's A Bad Bet, Certain Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din and Omera meet the consequences of their actions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I can't believe this is the last chapter of this fic! It's been so much fun to write but this series is just getting warmed up (as long as y'all still want it). Hope you enjoy! Please let me know if you want this series to continue!

Din dragged his eyes open. It was dark in the room, save for the soft light from the city peeking into the room through the panoramic window. The comforting weight of his son sleeping on his chest was gone and his side was throbbing. For the life of him he couldn’t remember where he was or how he got there.

“Omera?” He said hoarsely. His throat was so dry and he tasted iron.

“Din? You awake?” She asked. Her hands were on the sides of his face now and she was looking up into her eyes.

“Y-yeah. Were’s the kid?”

“I had Cara take him. You were hurting pretty badly earlier and you needed some rest. I was scared he would try to heal you further if it got bad.”

“Thank you,” Din said, swallowing roughly. “Thank you for taking care of all that.”

“It’s the least I could do after all that happened,” she replied, still feeling a touch guilty. He reached out and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently in his. His throat hurt too badly to talk at the moment, but the small gesture spoke volumes to her. “Here, let me get you some water.”

She got up off the bed and walked to the bathroom where she filled up a cup of water and then returned.

“Thank you,” he rasped as he took the cup from her. He winced a little as he sat up and drank deeply, relishing in the way the cool water soothed his throat.

“Take it slow. I don’t want you to make yourself sick. How’s your side?” She asked anxiously as she once again sat beside him on the bed. He set the cup on the nightstand.

“Little sore but not bad.” He looked at her and Omera found herself lost in his eyes. They looked at her with a deep intensity she’d never seen before. “In fact, I feel not bad enough to do this.”

Din reached up and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. Both his hands cupped her face and she felt herself melting in his arms.

“Hey, easy there big guy. Are you sure? You’re still healing.”

“I-I want. I just need…” he trailed off. Omera sensed what he needed. He’d been tightly wound even while sleeping. He was still keyed up from their assignment; still high on adrenalin. The combination of the fight and his body turning on every emergency system it had just to get them out of the building alive had left him a bundle of nervous energy.

“I want you,” he murmured as he trailed kisses along her neck and collar bone. She let out a soft moan.

“Then take me,” she murmured back as she gave into him and in an instant she was on her back and he was undoing the buttons on her shirt.

She was surprised at his nimbleness despite his injury. She felt his lips trailing along her warm skin, tracing her curves as he finished removing her shirt and pants. Her underclothes came off next as he pulled them off her roughly. Normally Din was gentle and loving. Their love-making had always been a balance of give and take but tonight, he was dominating and rough. It was unlike anything she’d seen from him before. He needed a different kind of release tonight, something far more heated than their usual brand. Tonight, they weren’t the sleepy couple from the farm. Tonight, they were something raw and dangerous.

“Bend over the bed,” he said in a husky voice as he stood and slipped off his pants and underwear.

She was barely in position when she felt him grab her hips roughly and take her from behind. It was easy for him to slip into her as his touch and desperate kisses had already excited her. Curses left her mouth as he wasted no time moving deep inside her. Omera gasped as his movements grew stronger and more powerful. His grip was bruising her supple skin as sweat formed along her neck and back and ran down her chest between her breasts. There would be no gentle words in Mando’a or soft touches tonight. There was no looking deeply into each other’s eyes as they loved each other. Tonight there was only primal need between them. He bent over her, burying one hand in her long tresses as sweat rolled down his face. Soft whimpers pulled themselves from her lips as his movements grew faster and almost painful for her. It didn’t last long though. The pain was mingling with pleasure as fire grew deep in her belly. Something akin to frustration and pure adrenaline was coursing through his veins, pounding in tandem with his hips. His side hurt and burned but somehow that only fueled his ferocity. Their pleasure became increasingly vocal and Omera was thankful that they had the room to theirselves. Her fingers twisted up in the sheets as he cried out hoarsely and emptied himself into her, causing her own climax to crescendo. He collapsed onto the bed, panting for breath. Every square inch of his skin was damp. She rolled over and moved to his side. For a few moments, neither said anything and laid in silence. Finally she spoke up.

“Din? You alright?” She asked softly.

“Yeah,” he rasped hoarsely. “Just tired. Thank you. I needed that.”

“Of course, my love. You can go back to sleep if you like. I’ll stay right here with you,” she replied.

Din pulled himself up into the bed and laid on his uninjured side to avoid irritating the wound. Omera found him with his back to her and she bit her lip as she snuggled close beside him. She couldn’t wrap her arm around his waist lest she put pressure over the stark, white dressing, so instead she rested her hand on his shoulder. His breathing evened out and deepened, indicating that he’d falling in a deeper and a more restorative sleep.

She couldn’t pinpoint it, but for some reason he felt distant and quiet, like he’d gone back inside his armor and separated himself from her. Never before had she missed their life before all this mess. It was foolish, it really was. This assignment had brought her the opportunity to see life beyond her own tiny village and share part of Din’s world with him but the galaxy was a vast, frightening place and she just wanted to be in her husband’s arms once more.

********

The sun once more woke Omera from sleep. Her eyes drifted open as she pushed herself up onto her side and rubbed her face. Her husband was still sound asleep beside her in the same position he drifted off in last night. She sat up and pulled back the blanket a little to inspect the dressing on his side. It had held during their activities last night and during his slumber and she was thankful. He should be ready for another dose of bacta and a painkiller about now.

“Din? Honey?” She whispered softly. Din groaned and opened his eyes. His face drew up in pain almost immediately as the wound in his side made itself known. “Shhhhhhh I know. I’m gonna get you something for it alright? Just stay still. Ok?

He nodded and closed his eyes. Omera got up and threw on her robe before hurrying over to her medical bag. She pulled out a small cylinder that contained injectable bacta infusions and selected one. Next she pulled out a bottle of pills that would help dull the pain before returning to his bedside. Gently she peeled the bandage back a little to reveal the wound. The stitches stood out starkly on his skin but they were straight, even, and held together well. Without a moment’s hesitation she uncapped the injector and stuck it into his skin just to the left of where the stitches were, pushing the plunger down steadily. He grunted in pain and a couple of huffed breaths escaped through his nose but as the medication hit his blood stream she could see the lines of tension leave his face.

“There, that should start to feel alright here in a second,” she said in a soothing voice as she combed her fingers through his hair.

“Thank you. That helps,” he croaked.

“Think you can knock back one or two of these painkillers?” She asked as she shook the bottle like she was trying to tempt a pet with treats.

“Try four or five,” he quipped as he pushed himself into a sitting position and accepted the bottle from her. She grabbed the cup off the night stand and took it to the refresher where she filled it up again and brought it back to him. She saw him shake out two pills from the bottle before he traded it for the cup of water. He swallowed the water and the pills in one gulp.

“Only the two?” She asked as he returned the cup to the nightstand.

“The bacta took the edge off, the pills finished the job. Besides, I have to be alert. Between the kid and what’s left of Ninx’s empire, I need to be at the top of my game.”

Omera was about to reply when a soft beep from the comm station in the corner of the room interrupted her. “That must be Cara, I’m sure she’s ready to pass off the baby and make sure you’re alright,” Omera said as she walked to the sleek machine and pressed a button. The display indicated there was one voice message and she pressed the playback button.

_“Very little goes on in this city without me noticing it. Your recent work has caught my attention. Then again, a Mandalorian in general would catch my attention. I request an audience with you and your partner at Club Kasakar this morning. I’ll be waiting.”_

The voice recording finished playing and Omera shot Din a look.

“Does that message have a sender or some sort of chain code?” Din asked. The smooth, oddly calm voice had sent shivers down his spine and he felt something akin to anxiety prod at the back of his mind.

Omera run through the database for a few minutes before shaking her head. “Nope. Just the voice message. Do you have any idea who it could be? I didn’t recognize the voice.”

“Nor did I. That man, whoever it is, he’s been watching us this whole time. He knows what we did to Ninx.” Din was out of the bed and pulling on his clothes as he spoke.

“Do you think it’s one of Ninx’s men looking for revenge?” Omera sensed Din was fully intending to suit up and started to pull on her own clothes before reaching for her armor.

“I don’t know, but we’re not going into this without a plan or back-up. Once we’re dressed, we’ll alert Cara and Karga, try to come up with a plan.”

Omera nodded in the affirmative as she started to strap on her armor.

********

Din and Omera entered the club. Omera was shocked that even in the middle of the day, the club was busy. The party life never stopped on Coruscant. Din scanned the area briefly, searching for any familiar face from the day before, to which he found none. He spotted Cara occupying a corner booth. She was sipping a drink and chatting with a Twi’lek, appearing as inconspicuous as possible. Karga was outside in the rented cruiser with the baby; their getaway incase things went south. Omera would never forget how severe Din had sounded as he told Karga the terrible things he would do to him if something happened to his son.

“How do we know who we’re supposed to be looking for?” Omera asked her husband over the clamor of music and conversation.

“I’m not sure. I don’t recognize anyone here.”

Din barely had the sentence out when the Mandalorians were approached by a man in a black suit. His platinum hair nearly blended in with his pale skin.

“Come with me, the Senator has a private room in the back,” the man said in a low voice before cutting through the thick crowd.

“ _Te tsad droten_?” Omera asked as she and her husband followed the men through the depths of the club. (A senator?)

 _“Cuyir kad’la. Bic Ru'lis cuyir a jehavey’ir,”_ Din replied in a low voice. (Stay sharp. It could be an ambush.)

Omera nodded as she followed Din and the strange man thought the club to a door that was tucked out of sight behind the bar. Every nerve in Din’s system was on high alert. He was coiled tightly and ready to spring. His hand never left the holstered blaster at his side. =

The door opened to reveal a warmly lit room filled with plush sofas and a private wet-bar. It was far more mellow in this room and seemed like a quiet retreat from the noisy club. There were only two occupants, the bar tender and a man in his early fifties, who reclined on one of the couches. His hair, which was once blond back in his younger years was now fading into gray and some faded stubble graced his face. A hawk-like nose jutted from his face and he wore an expression so severe, Omera felt a chill roll up her spine.

“I see you got my message,” he purred. He looked to the bar tender and nodded, a wordless signal to leave, to which the bar tender obliged and left the room silently. “Please, take a seat.”

“We’ll stand,” Din said in a deadpan tone.

“Suit yourself. I forgot you Mandalorians were a tense people.”

“Why did you send for us?” Din asked.

“Aren’t you even the slightest bit curious of who I am?” When the man was met with silence from the two Mandalorians he answered himself. “I’m Briggs, Senator Briggs. I represent Coruscant in the political council. I sent for you because I overheard what you did to Ninx.”

“How did you-“

“Because he worked for me!” Briggs interrupted Din. “How do you think he got so rich? How do you think he was allowed to run his operations here? He rallied supporters for my campaign, and I made sure he was allowed to do what he wanted undeterred.”

“I should have known the government here had a rotten spot,” Din spat.

“Whatever you think you know, it doesn’t matter. You took away my main source of support and elections are coming up.”

“What do you want?” Din queried.

“I want you to fix the mess you two made. You killed Ninx, so I want you to take his place. Be my hands in this city, ensure that I can continue to represent the good citizens of Coruscant. You two have the skills to be incredible leaders. You could run this city, under me of course. Isn’t it time that Mandalorians were in charge and feared again?”

Din scoffed and shook his head. Omera wanted to laugh as well. This man was spouting absolute nonsense.

“While your offer is…well, we’ll be on our way now. Keep your bribes and good luck in the next election.” He turned to Omera. “Let’s go.”

She nodded and without another word, the two Mandalorians turned and started to make their way out of the private room.

“Mark my words, Mandalorians! You will pay for what you’ve done! You better watch your step because I know everything. I will be there!” Briggs called as they left the room.

“Come on. Let’s get out of here and get home,” Din said to Omera. He gestured for Cara to follow as they headed out of the club.

“Do you think he’ll follow us?” She asked as they returned to the sunlight outside and moved to where Karga was waiting.

“Not a chance. His power can’t extend past his little kingdom here. We’ll be safe once we leave here. Let’s not waste anymore time.”

Omera nodded. “I agree. The sooner we leave the better,” she affirmed before they climbed into the waiting speeder with Cara hot on their heels.

“Hey, what was that all about?” She asked as she boarded the speeder behind them.

“We found out why Ninx has been allowed to run rampant. He was being backed by a senator,” Omera reported.

“Well that definitely explains a lot,” Karga commented from the driver’s seat. “Is this senator going to be a problem?”

“He shouldn’t now that we’ve killed his only source of campaign support. I think it’s time Coruscant got itself a less corrupt representative,” Din replied as he sat back in his seat.

Now that the potential danger was past, his senses were starting to uncoil and his side was feeling sore again. A babbling coo caught his attention and he turned to see his son crawling into his lap. A small smile played across his face. At the end of the day, this tiny little life was what mattered.

********

Karga brought the Mandalorians and their son back to the hotel where they packed their bags quickly, and then brought them to the loading dock. The _Razorcrest_ was fueled up and ready to fly once more. Din and Omera said their goodbyes to their friends.

“Don’t be a stranger, Cara. Come back and visit more often,” Omera said as she gave the shock trooper a hug.

“Of course. Maybe you can get Din to come out and take some jobs here and there so he doesn’t get rusty,” Cara said with a grin as she returned the embrace.

“I will,” Omera replied before going to stand next to her husband.

“Safe travels, you two,” Karga said. “Thank you again for cleaning this up. I appreciate it.”

Din nodded and turned to his wife. “You ready to go home?”

“Absolutely,” she replied and the two entered the ship with their son, leaving the bounty hunter and shock trooper behind.

Within a few minute the ship was taking off and leaving Coruscant in its wake. The Mandalorians waited until they were in hyper space and returning to Sorgan to remove their helmets.

“Hey Din, there’s a message on the comm,” Omera said as she noticed the flashing light on the dash board.

“Must be from Sei and Sala. Go a head and play it,” he replied.

Omera pressed a button and a tiny holograph projection of Sei popped up.

_“Din, I know you won’t get this until later but you need to come home as soon as possible. You have a visitor here. It’s the armorer from your old enclave.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! As always, rate and review!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I’ll hope to have more out soon. As always, rate and review!


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